Appledore Shipbuilders Explained

Appledore Shipbuilders
(H&W Appledore)
Type:Private limited company
Location City:Appledore, Devon, England
Parent:InfraStrata
Homepage:www.harland-wolff.com

Appledore Shipbuilders is a shipbuilder in Appledore, North Devon, England.

History

The Appledore Yard was founded in 1855 on the estuary of the River Torridge.[1] The Richmond Dry Dock was built in 1856 by William Yeo and named after Richmond Bay on the north coast of Prince Edward Island in Canada, where the Yeo family's shipping fleet was based.[2]

The business was led by Philip Kelly Harris[3] during the early part of the 20th century and known as P.K. Harris & Sons until 1963, when it became Appledore Shipbuilders.[4]

During World War II, P.K. Harris & Sons built a variety of small vessels for the Royal Navy, primarily coastal craft. These included Fairmile B motor launches ML 128, ML 152, ML 184, ML 233, ML 263, ML 279, ML 304 and ML 451; Fairmile D motor gun boats (later re-classed as motor torpedo boats) MGB 618, MGB 627, MGB 642, MTB 665, MTB 687, MTB 702, MTB 723, MTB 757, MTB 788 and MTB 5021; and (armed) motor fishing vessels MFV 794 and MFV 795.

In 1964 the company was acquired by Court Line, a shipping and airline business.[5] A new shipyard was built on a greenfield site in Appledore at a cost of about £4m, opening for business in 1970.[5] Court Line collapsed in 1974 and Appledore Shipbuilders was nationalised, subsequently being subsumed into British Shipbuilders. By the late 1980s the only yards still held in state ownership were the smaller Appledore and Ferguson yards.[6] In 1989, Appledore Shipbuilders was sold to Langham Industries.[7]

In the late 1990s the two square-rigged sail training ships of the Tall Ships Youth Trust, the Prince William and the, were completed at Appledore, by performing substantial modifications to two bare hulls begun in Germany.[8]

Appledore built two Róisín-class patrol boats for the Irish Naval Service: was completed in 1999 and in 2001.In 2010, Ireland ordered a further two, 90m (300feet), 23kn offshore patrol vessels from Babcock with an option for a third, to be built at Appledore. The first s was commissioned in May 2014. In June 2014, the Irish government took up the option for the third ship to be built at Appledore (delivered in 2016) and ordered a fourth in 2016 (delivered in 2018).[9]

In October 2003, the Appledore shipyard went into receivership,[10] and in early 2004 was acquired by DML, the operators of Devonport dockyard.[11] The company was reconstituted as Appledore Shipbuilders (2004) Limited and was run by the DML subsidiary DML Appledore. During this period the yard's main activity was the installation of machinery packages and other systems for luxury yachts for Devonport Yachts Ltd.[12]

In June 2007, Babcock International Group acquired DML, including its operations at the Appledore Shipyard, renaming them Babcock Marine Appledore. A Royal Navy contract secured 300 jobs in Appledore until 2015.[13] The Appledore yard constructed elements of the two s. Bow sections for were completed in April 2010 and were barged to Rosyth Dockyard for integration with other modules.[14] The yard then built flight deck sponsons and centre blocks for Queen Elizabeth.[15] From 2012, Appledore built similar sections for Queen Elizabeths sister ship .[15]

Babcock announced in November 2018 that it had no future for the shipyard, which closed on 15 March 2019. The last vessel to be built at the yard was the, an Irish Naval Service vessel.[16] [17] [18]

In August 2020, InfraStrata (owners of Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff) bought the dormant shipyard for £7 million.[19] The deal saw the shipyard renamed H&W Appledore.[20]

In July 2022, the shipyard won a £55 million contract to refit former Royal Navy mine-hunting ship which is expected to be passed to the Lithuanian navy in 2024.[21]

Ships built at Appledore

The company built more than 350 vessels, including small and medium-sized military craft, bulk carriers, LPG carriers, superyachts, ferries, and oil-industry support vessels. Specific ships include:

Survey vessels
Tall ships
Superyachts
Ferries
Aircraft carriers
  • , bulbous bow and sections
  • , bulbous bow and sections
Patrol vessels
Research ships
Commercial vessels
  • Manchester Vigour, a container ship
  • Manchester Zeal, a container ship
  • Seamark, a pilot cutter for Swansea Bay
  • Wimpey Seadog, supply vessel
  • Craigdarragh, a tug boat
  • Alphagas, an LPG carrier
  • Betagas, an LPG carrier
  • Deltagas, an LPG carrier
  • Arklow Bridge, a bulk carrier
  • Suffolk Chieftain, a fishing vessel
  • Toisa Coral, an offshore supply vessel
  • Toisa Crest, an offshore supply vessel
  • Toisa Conqueror, an offshore supply vessel
  • Ikar, a tug boat
  • Elkhound, a tug boat
Dredgers
  • City of Chichester[30]
  • City of Cardiff
  • City of Westminster
  • City of London[31]
  • Cherry Sand[32]
  • Arco Avon
  • Arco Arun
  • Arco Axe
  • Arco Adur
  • Britannia Beaver[33]
  • UKD Marlin

Notes and References

  1. News: Receivers to take over yard . . 29 September 2003.
  2. Web site: The story of the Dry Dock . Celebrating Appledore's Shipping Heritage . 15 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080908064004/http://www.appledoredrydock.org.uk/dockhistory.html . 8 September 2008 .
  3. Web site: Appledore Parish Church Register of Marriages . 19 April 2009 . 31 March 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090331094530/http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Northam/AppledoreMarriages/ParishChurch22.html . dead .
  4. http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritish-Shipbuild02.htm Tribute to British Shipbuilding and Repair Industries 1914–18, Part 2 of 3
  5. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-james-venus-1548891.html James Venus: Obituary
  6. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/britain-misses-the-boat-after-years-in-the-doldrums-there-are-new-opportunities-for-the-shipbuilding-industry-worldwide-but-the-oncegreat-yards-of-britain-may-now-be-too-weak-to-take-advantage-says-david-bowen-1446668.html Britain misses the boat after years in the doldrums
  7. News: Specialisation is the Key. 7 January 2018. The Motor Ship. Mercatormedia. 1 October 1998.
  8. Book: Chapman Great Sailing Ships of the World . Otmar Schäuffelen . 2005 . 159 . . 1588163849 .
  9. News: Government to purchase third new Naval Service ship . Irish Times . 9 June 2014.
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20120612050549/http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Navy-International-2003/NEWS-IN-BRIEF--Appledore-in-receivership.html "Appledore in receivership"
  11. News: Appledore Shipyard is saved. The BBC. 13 February 2004. 28 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080522090115/http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/appledore.shtml. 22 May 2008 . live.
  12. Web site: Yachts. Babcock Marine. 28 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20080731151827/http://www.babcock.co.uk/opco/marine/activities.php?pageID=75166. 31 July 2008.
  13. News: Shipyard celebrates fishery vessels order. This Is North Devon. 29 July 2010. 7 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20100809160349/http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Shipyard-celebrates-fishery-vessels-order/article-2464278-detail/article.html. 9 August 2010. dead.
  14. News: Aircraft carrier bow sections leave Appledore Shipyard. This Is North Devon. 1 April 2010. 7 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20100904041037/http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Aircraft-carrier-bow-sections-leave-Appledore-Shipyard/article-1962758-detail/article.html. 4 September 2010. dead.
  15. News: Shipyard completes key stage in aircraft carrier project. This Is North Devon. 11 February 2010. 7 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20100217041409/http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Shipyard-completes-key-stage-aircraft-carrier-project/article-1823207-detail/article.html. 17 February 2010. dead.
  16. News: Jolly . Jasper . Babcock International to close historic Appledore shipyard . 16 March 2019 . The Guardian . 1 November 2018 . London.
  17. News: Gussin . Tony . 'Heart-breaking' farewell as Appledore Shipyard closes for the final time . 16 March 2019 . North Devon Gazette . 15 March 2019 . Barnstaple, Devon.
  18. North Devon Shipbuilding Ends Ships Monthly July 2019 page 8
  19. News: Appledore Shipyard to reopen after £7m InfraStrata deal . . 25 August 2020.
  20. Web site: Historic UK Shipyard Appledore Acquired by Owners of Harland & Wolff . 25 August 2020 . Jehan Ashmore . Afloat.
  21. News: Appledore Shipyard lands £55m vessel refit contract . 2022-07-15 . . 2022-07-16.
  22. Web site: HMS Echo website . . 28 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080609063812/http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.00h001001006004001 . 9 June 2008 . dead . dmy .
  23. Web site: Motor Yacht Sarafsa by Devonport. charterworld.com. 7 May 2012.
  24. Web site: Superyacht Vava II. Acronautic Yacht Crew. 7 May 2012.
  25. Web site: Coruisk (III) . Ships of Calmac . 28 May 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101002022252/http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/profile_coruisk1.asp . 2 October 2010 .
  26. Web site: Shannon Ferries: Irish Ferries Enthusiasts. Enthusiasts. Irish Ferries. www.irish-ferries-enthusiasts.com. 19 October 2016.
  27. Web site: About Us: Shannon Ferries. www.shannonferries.com. 19 October 2016.
  28. News: Gallacher. Neil. Devon-built Samuel Beckett ship handed to Irish Naval Service. BBC News. 28 April 2014.
  29. Web site: The Evolution of Cable & Wireless. FTL Design. 28 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080516215512/http://atlantic-cable.com/CableCos/CandW/CW/index.htm. 16 May 2008 . live.
  30. Web site: Pembroke Dock Visits (Port of Pembroke). Pembroke Dock Community Web Project. 28 May 2008.
  31. Web site: City of London - ppl Trailing suction hopper dredgers - Equipment | Dredging Database.
  32. Web site: Cherry Sand. Associated British Ports. 27 April 2013.
  33. Web site: Britannia Beaver . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828193008/http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/britanniabeaver.htm . 28 August 2008 . 28 May 2008 . ShipPhotos.co.uk.

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